Invalid elevator and conveyer



T. L. HO'LTON. INVALID ELEVATOR AND OONVEYER.

(No Model.)

No. 408,716. Patented Aug. 13, 1889.

N. PETERS Photo-WW8 WWO". D. O.

UNITED STATES TYREE L. HOLTON, OF MAYSVILLE, KENTUCKY.

PATENT QFFICE.

INVALID ELEVATOR AND CONVEYER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 408,716, dated August 13, 18894 Application filed April 22, 1889. Serial No. 308,075. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, TYREE L. HOLTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Maysville, in the county of Mason and State of Kentucky, have invented a certain new and useful Invalid Elevator and Conveyer; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, reference being had 'to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a cheap, simple, and convenient apparatus for lifting a sick or wounded person from off a bed and conveying him to another part of the room, or to an operating-room in a hospita], without the slightest exertion or fatigue of the patient. To accomplish this result I provide a sling or stretcher or hammock, which. is in some cases composed of heavy canvas and is placed under the sheet or bedding upon which the patient lies, the longitudinal edges of this canvas being, preferably, tucked or hemmed to admit a pair of poles or rails, which may constantly occupy said hems, or they may-be inserted therein only when occasion requires. The ends of these side rails have suitable provision for ready connection to a system of ropes or light chains depending from a set of sheaves, which latter are carried by a traveler that runs upon an elevated track secured near the ceiling of the sick-room or hospital. Furthermore, these ropes or chains carry a pair of spreaders, one of the latter, and preferably the spreader at the head of the stretcher, being provided with suitable gearing and a Windlass, around which Windlass is wound the hoisting-rope. This rope traverses the above-mentioned sheaves, so as to obtain the necessary power, which is increased by the gearing,-and after the suspension ropes or chains have been coupled to the side rails of the stretcher a few turns of a crank lifts the latter and the patient bodily in a horizontal position, after which act the sick person can be readily conveyed wherever the elevated track leads to, as hereinafter more fully described.

In the'annexed drawings, Figure l is a per spective View of my invalid elevator and con veyer. Fig. 2 is a view of the elevated track and traveler. Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan of one end of a side rail or pole, the suspensionrope coupled to said rail being sectioned. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of said rail and its coupling devices. Fig. 5 is an enlarged elevation of a portion of the headspreader and the gearing applied thereto. Fig. 6 is an elevation of a portion of the master-wheel ofsaid gearing.

A represents the sling, cot, stretcher, or hammock, which usually consists of a sheet or a piece of thick canvas, the edges thereof being tucked or hemmed longitudinally, as at a a, to admit side rails or poles B O, whose opposite ends have short vertical slots 1) b and c c. The slots 1) c are adapted to receive the lower ends of ropes or other similar suspension devices D D, depending from a sheave E, a foot-spreader F being employed to keep the rails apart and prevent them pressing against the patient. G G are other similar suspenders inserted within the slots b c and then carried up to the sheave E,- these suspenders being provided with a headspreader H. These ropes D D and G G may be simply knotted at their lower ends to prevent them pulling through the slots; but I prefer to fasten each rope to a light casting consisting of a neck I and an annular flange or collar i, as seen in Figs. 3

and 4. The neck traverses the slot of the rail, which latter rests upon the collar, and, if desired, a spring J may be employed to prevent said neck accidentally slipping out of said slot. Secured to one end of spreader H is a housing K, having lugs 70, that afford journal-bearings for a shaft L and pinion M, which pinion gears with a master-wheel N of said shaft, to which latter a drum or Windlass O is secured and has a hoisting-rope P wound around it. This rope is rove through the upper sheave E, thence through the lower sheave E, and is then attached to the strap of said upper sheave, which is suspended from a swivel-hook r of traveler R, whose wheel S runs within the groove 15 of an elevated track T, said track being attached to the ceiling by suitable hangers, one of which is seen at U in Fig. 2. The inner face of master-wheel N has a series of ratchet-teeth V, (seen only in Fig. 6,) which teeth allow said wheel to turn freely in one direction, but prevent it turning in an opposite direction by coming in contact with a stop lV, which is protruded from the housing K by a spring 20. X is a knob wherewith this stop is retracted, the shank of said knob traversing a slot Y, and being turned down into a lateral branch y of said slot when said stop is to be locked in its retracted position.

In arranging this apparatus for use the track T is first secured to the ceiling by the hangers U or otherwise, and the canvas A is placed upon the mattress with the sheets and other bedclothes resting on it, the poles B O, which are preferably connected at all times to said canvas, being concealed by the side rails of the bedstead. This expedient is preferred because it prevents the patient being disturbed by inserting the poles within the hems a a, and also because said poles can be so arranged as to retain the bedclothes in their proper place. The patient is then laid upon the clothes, which rest upon the canvas, and when he is to be lifted the traveler R is run along the track until said traveler reaches a position above the center of the bed. The lower ends of the suspensionropes D D G G are engaged with the slotted ends I) c 1) c of the rails, and stop V is retracted, so as to prevent friction against the wheel N. (rank on of pinion M is now turned in the proper direction to wind the hoisting-rope P around the drum 0, and thus elevate the sling or stretcher A, together with the invalid and the covering over him. This elevation is readily effected on account of the power obtained by the gearing M N and sheaves E E, which devices, if properly arranged, will enable a child ten years old to lift an adult with perfect case. As soon as the stretcher A has been raised clear of the bedstead the stop 7 is allowed to protrude, and by engaging against one of the ratchet-teeth V it locks the wheel N and retains said stretcher in its elevated position. A slight push or pull is then sufiieient to cause the traveler R to run along the track T and therebyeonvey the suspended stretcher or cot to any place where said track leads, and for hospital purposes the track may lead from one of the wards to the operating-room, and thence to the dissecting-room. lVhen the stretcher reaches its destination, it can be lowered, so as to leave the patient in an inclined position on an invalids chair, or he may be deposited in a horizontal position upon an operating-table, and as these various movements can be effected without taking off the bedclothes there is no danger of him catching cold. Neither can he be injured while being lifted and changed from one bed to another, as all the movements of the apparatus are smooth and noiseless and can be effected at times without waking the patient. When the suspension-ropes are to be disconnected from the cot, stretcher, or hammock, the spring J is pressed back to permit the neck I of the coupling device to be slipped out of the slot 12, and then said spring again assumes its normal position. Finally, in some cases the gearing may be so powerful as to enable the lower sheave E to be dispensed with, or the sheaves may be so multiplied as to allow the sling or hammock to be lifted without employing the gearing.

I claim as my invention-- The combination, in an invalid elevator and conveyer, of the flexible sling A, slotted side rails B b I) C c o, suspenders D D G G, engaged with the slots of said rails and attached to a common elevated support, as the sheave E, a spreader II, carried by the suspenders G G and having a drum 0, a hoisting-rope P, coiled around said drum, an upper sheave E, through which said rope is passed before being attached to said common support, a traveler R, that carries said upper sheave E, and an elevated track T, upon which said traveler runs, as herein described.

In testimony whereof I affix my si gnatu rein presence of two witnesses.

TYREE L. 'HOLTON.

Vitnesses:

JAMES H. LAYMAN, SAML. S. CARPENTER. 

